Automatic switch attachment.



No. 745,413. PATENTED DEC. 1, 1903. C. B. BLANK. AUTOMATIC SWITCH ATTACHMENT APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4.1903. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS=-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR' 4 M 6, MM a d. m4,

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NWIHM WITNESSES:

PATENTED DEC. 1, 1903.

0. B. BLANK.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4; 1903. no MODEL. 4

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W/ TNESSES:

UNITED STATES Patented December 1, 1903.

PATENT QFFICE.

ci-mnmis B. BLANK, on Fosr nter, KANSAS, ASSIGNOROF ONE-HALF To JOSEPH RARDEN, or roar RILEY, KANSAS.

AUTOMATiC SWITCH ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters llatent No. 745,413, dated December 1, 1 03- Application filed June 4.1903. Serial lilo. 160,022. (No model.)

To otZZ whom, it may concern: m

Be it known that I, CHAR EsB. BLANK, residing at Fort Riley, in the county of Geary and State of Kansas, have invented certain 5 usefullmprovementsinAutomaticSwitchAttachments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apper- IO tains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings,

which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to anew and novel improvement in switch-throwing mechanism.

The aim of my invention is to provide a mechanism to automatically throw aswitch.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown in Figure 1 a top view'of a switchthrowing mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows an elevation between the rails with portions removed. Fig. 3 discloses one of the setting-trips. Fig. 4. discloses one of the releasing-trips, while Fig. 5 discloses a detail in which a striker secured to a car is z 5 about to engage one of the releasing-trips as used in my invention.

The aim of my invention is to provide a mechanism adapted to be placed between the rails and arranged to be engaged by a suitable striker to u pset' the same to throw a suitable switch, the mechanism being further arranged so that the same striker will later reset the switch.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown in Fig. 1 a railway embodying the rails A upon one side and the rails A A upon the opposite side and the rails B and B interposed. From the interposed or central rails p B 13 extend the pivotally-held split-rail sec 40 tions 0 and O, forming the switch, which railsections reciprocate upon the plates 1, 2, 3, and 4. Positioned a suitable distance from these split-rail sections is a setting-trip 25, (shown in detail in Fig. 3,) which settingtrip is adapted to be held in a vertical position by means of the coil-spring 26, as shown in Fig. 1. Below the supporting-pin 35', supporting this setting-trip 25, is a cable 23, which is secured to one of the arms of a pivoted lover a, this cable 23 being of such a length that when the lever a is set transversely to the rails the setting-trip 25 will be in a vertical position. Situated between the track upon the side opposite to the lever ais a counterpart setting-trip 12, pivotally supported, this trip 12 being held within a box 10, secured to the base-plate 19. The settingtrip 25 upon the opposite side is held within the box 27, secured to the base-plate 37.

The setting-trip 12 is held in avertical position by means of the coil-spring 14 and has also extending from it a cable 15, counterpart toth'e cable 23, secured to the lever a, so that this setting-tripis also held vertically when the lever at is held transversely to the rails.

Suitably secured to the pivoted lever ct, mounted upon the plate 5, is the connectingbar 0, supported by means of the pin 8, and this connecting-bar c is slidably secured to the split switch-sections O and C, so that as the lever a is tilted from sideto side the conmeeting-bar 0 will be thrown sidewise to force the split'rails O in connection with the rail A, the split rails 0 being normally in engage- 7 5 ment with the rail A, as shown in Fig. 1. Positioned adjacent a lever 03 and held by the pin 6, secured to the base-plate 5, is the second lever 12. From this lever b extends the cable 32 upon one side, which is secured to So a releasing-trip 30, held in a vertical position by means of the spring 31, as disclosed in Fig. 4, while extending from the opposite end of this lever l) is the counterpart cable 17, secured to a second releasing-trip, as shown in Fig. 1. Extending from the leverb, to which the cable 32 is secured, is the latch-cable 16,

secured to the spring-latch 13, held adjacent to thelower end of the setting-trip 12. Extending from the opposite end of the lever b is the cable 21, secured to a counterpart spring-latch 24:, placed adjacent the lower stem of the setting-trip 25.

Now when all the instrumentalities have been constructed so that all the trips will be 5 held vertically under spring tension, and in which condition the split rail 0 is adjacent the rail A, the operation of my device will be as follows: Should a train approach upon the rails A and A to first approach the base- Ico plate 37, supporting the setting-trip 25, and it be desired that the train should be switched to the right, the operator would throw down a suitable striker 4:1 to engage the settingtrip 25 to tilt the same forward. This would result in the trip 12 also being inclined or tilted forward, permitting the coil-springs 14 and 26 to promptly upset these setting-trips 25 and 12, which would then be locked in their inclined or tilted position by means of the springcatch 13. This forward tilting of the setting-trip 25 carries the cable 23 backward to tilt the lever a to throw the split rail 0 in engagement with the rail A and at the same time carries the rail 0 out of engagement with the rail A. As soon as the striker comes in engagement with the releasing-trip the lever 12 is tilted to release both of the spring-latches 13 and 24, permitting the setting-trips 25 and 12 assuming their vertical position again to throw the split rails O and G into their normal position. Should a train approach from an opposite direction upon the rails B and A to first engage the trips 12 and 20 will be actuated to operate leverato throw the split rails in the manner set forth.

The device is simple of construction and readily operated, and,

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is-

A switch-throwing mechanism comprising a lever pivoted between the rails, a connecting-bar secured to said lever, said connecting-bar being secured to two split rails, a set ting-trip, a spring to normally hold said trip ported lever, "a strand extending from one end of said second lever, a spring-latch secured adjacent said first-mentioned setting-trip, said spring-latch, a second spring-latch, a strand extending from said second springlatch, said second spring-latch being held adjacent said second setting-trip, a strand extending from said second spring-latch and secured to said second pivoted supportinglever, a releasing-trip, a spring to hold said releasing-trip vertically, a strand extending from said releasing-trip to said second pivotally-held lover, a second releasing-trip positioned upon the side opposite said firstmentioned releasing-trip, a spring to normally hold said second releasing-trip and a strand extending from said second releasingtrip to said second supporting-lever, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES B. BLANK.

Witnesses: Y JOSEPH RARDEN, ROM. 0. RIZER. 

